As production begins on The Dark Knight (sequel to Chris Nolan's Batman Begins), it's only a matter of time before photos of the actors and set designs show up on the internet. One particularly intriguing detail will undoubtedly be the look of Heath Ledger's Joker. Amidst general pessimism about this casting choice from many, the contributors to this page continue to have the utmost faith in whatever Ledger and Nolan bring to the character. Of course, when the pair use words like "scary" and "psychotic" to describe their Joker, who can argue? Those concepts are the very essence of the Joker thriving within the pages of the very best Batman graphic novels. It seems that as time has gone on, the performances have gotten closer and closer to the real deal.
1966: Cesar Romero plays the Joker in the campy Adam West Batman series. I grew up with this version in reruns. He's more silly than demented, but then again we're talking about a guy who refused to shave his mustache for the role (1960's solution: just paint over it!).
1989: Jack Nicholson's take on the villain is about as perfect for that movie as you could get. My earliest memory of being in a movie theater is from this film, largely due to this performance. But let's face it...no one, not even the 'Ew they got that gay guy from Brokeback Mountain' Ledger haters, wants to see Nicholson's performance rehashed.
1995: Tommy Lee Jones appears in Batman Forever taking on the role of the Jok-- oh wait...that was supposed to be Two Face? Seriously? Wait...seriously?
Which brings us to today, when news broke that Heath Ledger's Joker "will have gray skin with lots of scarring" and will wear "raggedy" clothing that's more thrown together than a true costume. Ledger has insisted that his take on the character will be a sinister one, adding, "I definitely have an image in my head and I definitely have something up my sleeve." Talking like a clown already. I like.
- Rob Society
